From the Desk of J.M. Poole

Zack receives an invitation he cannot refuse: an Audience with the queen of England! It would seem the good queen has heard of the exploits of Sherlock and Watson, and would like to meet them. What could possibly go wrong?

Available as a pre-order at these fine retailers!

Let’s see, what else is new? Well, for all you fantasy fans, Harness the Fire has been completed and will be released in just a few days. If you haven’t already, you can reserve your copy here! Follow along with Zeira and her fellow dragons as they attempt to figure out what is happening to their world and what they can do to save it, even if it means having to track down a few of those elusive bipeds and make them riders, willing or not.

Case of the Ragin’ Cajun (CCF13) is up for pre-order on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo, and so on. My publisher tells me they plan to release it by the end of next month, but what they’ve been doing is pushing the date forward if they know the title is ready to be released. So… I’m guessing it’ll be early to mid July. It’s just a guess. 🙂

On the fantasy front, Harness the Fire (Dragons of Andela #1) should be finished within the next week or two. It’ll go through it’s customary editing process, and then be given to the beta readers. I’m predicting it’ll be released by the end of July, early August. And, if it happens sooner, then I’m not gonna argue!

Next up for book titles will be CCF14, Case of the Missing Marine, followed by either the next DoA or, and I’m strongly considering this, a new Tales of Lentari story. I’ve got several bouncin’ around my head, and I’m eager to revisit everyone’s husband & wife team. What do you think? Would anyone like to see another Tales of Lentari story? Please leave a comment below!

Hello! One of my books, Case of the One-Eyed Tiger, has been included in a collection of mysteries that are going to be made free to the public. Essentially, the more authors you follow on Bookbub, the better the chances are that you’ll win copies of books. So, if you haven’t already, come follow me on Bookbub! Check out some of the other authors that are participating! It’s a fantastic way to grab some free books! Click the image above or here to check it out!

Looking for a story that has an Irish flair to it? Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day comes Case of the Shady Shamrock!

A mysterious package appears on Zack Anderson’s doorstep. When he opens the crate, there’s an elaborate silver chest, obviously quite old, with Celtic markings and no apparent way to open it. Zack is almost content to accept the artifact as a decorative item … until people start coming after it. The only conclusion is that the box contains something of great value. Zack, Jillian, Sherlock, and Watson are on the case, tracking down the unusual item, learning tidbits about the box’s history, and discovering that it dates back to an unsolved theft in Ireland more than a hundred years ago.

Can Zack, Jillian, and the corgis piece together the clues and find out what’s inside the little chest before it gets snatched from their hands forever?

Available at major retailers!

Now available for pre-order!  Case of the Shady Shamrock (Corgi Case Files #12) will be out in time for St. Patty’s Day, so be sure to reserve your copy today! 

A mysterious package appears on Zack Anderson’s doorstep. When he opens the crate, there’s an elaborate silver chest, obviously quite old, with Celtic markings and no apparent way to open it. Zack is almost content to accept the artifact as a decorative item … until people start coming after it. The only conclusion is that the box contains something of great value. Zack, Jillian, Sherlock, and Watson are on the case, tracking down the unusual item, learning tidbits about the box’s history, and discovering that it dates back to an unsolved theft in Ireland more than a hundred years ago.

Welcome to the new year! Are you as glad as I am that we’re past 2020? Anyway, I’m opening up a custom gift shop, via Zazzle, with custom products based on the series I have written. There are only a few things listed in there to start, but I am taking suggestions on what you’d like to see. Pillows? Blankets? Posters? Would you like to see the cover for Lost City (Tales of Lentari #1) on a deck of playing cards? How about a Polo shirt with the Corgi Case Files logo on the pocket?

Let me know what you’d like to see and I’ll see if I can make it happen!

If you live in the US, I have no doubt you realize what’s at stake. This election, more than any other than I can remember, has a lot riding on it. Not only will it determine who will be our president for the next four years, it will also give us the chance to return to some semblance of normalcy.

I typically don’t indulge in politics, and I know this may upset some of you, but we really need to vote that orange monkey out of office. I would actually love to be able to utter ‘Proud to be an American’ once again, and right now, I can’t. Not as long as that idiot is in the White House.

So, if you want to get your voice heard, now’s the time: vote! If you haven’t done so already, cast your ballot. Vote for you believe in. Let’s get this country back on track!

Today marks the day I “unpublished” all ten of my Corgi Case Files titles. I pulled them from Amazon, Google, and Smashwords. Now, you might find them for sale at a few retailers in the upcoming days, but as time passes, you’ll be hard-pressed to find them. This includes ebooks and print editions, but does NOT include audiobooks. Trust me, this is okay. In fact, it’s intentional.

So, what is this all about? Well, as I mentioned a week or so ago, my Corgi Case Files series was picked up by a publisher! Columbine Publishing Group will handle everything about the ebook and print formats from now on. Since I already had an arrangement for the audiobooks, those weren’t included.

My publisher assured me they will get them re-released as soon as possible. Maybe the first three by the end of the year? We will see. Fingers crossed! Nevertheless, Corgi Case Files may be currently missing, but rest assured, they will be back. Look for them under the Secret Staircase Books name, Columbine’s Mystery & Thriller imprint.

I shouldn’t forget to mention… Case of the Great Cranberry Caper (Corgi Case Files #11) should be released in time for the holidays this year! Happy reading!

Hi, everyone!

Just a quick heads-up about what’s been happening with me in the last week or so. At the suggestion of a family member, I contacted Columbine Publishing Group about potentially submitting my mystery series, Corgi Case Files, for consideration. My ultimate goal has always been to get the books into as many readers’ hands as possible. This publisher has an imprint which handles mystery and thriller books: Secret Staircase Books. They were looking for lighter fare cozy mysteries, and they said they “heavily favor series where there are at least 3 books”. Well, my cozy mystery series has 10 released titles at the moment, and I pride myself on keeping my stories light-hearted and fun.

What could it hurt to try?

Long story short, after an email interview, submission of CCF1, a request for an additional manuscript (I sent them CCF8), and a Zoom meeting with the CEO and the head of Editing, I was offered a publishing contract for the whole 10 book series, with first rights to addtional titles in the series. What does that mean for me? Well, that’s easy. I don’t have to worry about marketing the titles anymore. I don’t have to worry about editing, or formatting, or cover design. Secret Staircase Books will now be handling all of it, so the only thing I’m responsible for is writing!

So…. yeah. I’ve been on Cloud 9 lately. I’m really thrilled to begin working with this group and can’t wait to see what’s in store for the series! Now, if you have questions, or have been wondering what it means for the CCF series, I can safely tell you absolutely nothing will be changing on your end. The books will still be available in print and ebook form. I’m pretty sure the cover design will still be handled by Felipe, my illustrator for the last 9 books. The prices might go up a smidge, but for the first time ever, that part is out of my hands.

I do have another CCF title in the works: Case of the Great Cranberry Caper (Corgi Case Files #11). My publisher tells me that, as long as I can get the book completed by the end of October, they’ll make it available for release before the holiday season arrives. Have no fear. I plan on having it done by mid-October, easy. 🙂

My fantasy series will continue to be published by Yours Truly. I’m still working on Harness the Fire (Dragons of Andela #1). Dragons, magic, comedy, and unexpected surprises and twists. I’m having a ball with it.

That’s it for me. If you have any questions, or have been wondering anything, don’t hesitate to post a question about it, or leave a comment. I read all comments on here, and will typically reply back within a day or so. Happy reading!

J.